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August 30, 2005
Devastation
As the reports trickle in from the central Gulf Coast, it is becoming clear that Hurricane Katrina is an utter catastrophe for the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Levies have broken in New Orleans, and as much as 80% of the city may now be under water. Gulfport, MS has basically been destroyed and nearby Biloxi has also suffered tremendous damage. Mobile, AL fared better, but also has significant damage. Still unknown is the fate of the many smaller communities in between the cities.
The death toll will likely be in the hundreds (at least), and thousands of people have materially lost everything. Katrina will likely be the worst natural disaster in American history, certainly, in terms of loss of life, since the Galveston flood over a hundred years ago.
As always in these situations, it is the poor and elderly who are the most vulnerable and worst affected. We suspect many of the deaths will be among those who simply did not have the means to get out of the storm's path.
It's time for that characteristic American generosity so evident after 9-11 and the South Asian tsunami. Remember your fellow Americans folks, and help them.
Posted by houtopia at 10:25 AM
August 28, 2005
America Needs Wes Clark
Disclosure: Houtopia volunteered for Clark's 2004 campaign.
Not even a year after last year's excruciating and seemingly endless presidential campaign, that hurdy-gurdy known as the political media is cranking up its 2008 tune. Ugh.
On the Republican side, early speculation centers around John McCain, Newt Gingrich, Massachusetts Governor (and transplanted Mormon) Mitt Romney, and that stem cell flip-flopper, mister personality himself, Dr. Bill Frist. Bob Woodward's even intimated that Dick Cheney (bad ticker permitting) will officially run for the job he's held since January 2001. A free-for-all to become the post-2008 GOP standard bearer is sure to come.
Over on the "D" side, word is John Kerry wants another crack (guess he didn't get the memo), and so does John Edwards. Indiana's Evan Bayh is testing the waters, and based on New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's recent border "state of emergency" declaration, so is he. Even Al Gore's name still comes up from time to time (ouch, instant indigestion).
But the big name, of course, is Hillary Rodham Clinton. The New York senator is running for reelection in 2006, and not expected to face much of a challenge. Should Senator Clinton enter the 2008 Democratic primary fray, she'd be very tough to beat, particularly when she sends a certain male surrogate of the same name out to campaign on her behalf. The general election is another matter. Hillary is one of the most polarizing figures in America, which is both good and bad for her presidential prospects. But we'll save that for another post.
Our choice is Wes Clark, and the reason is Iraq.
As the situation in Iraq continues to worsen and public support for the effort increasingly wavers, the war there is likely to remain the predominant political issue in America. Our service-members are being killed and wounded in large numbers, the tab is huge and growing, and there seems to be no end in sight. President Bush is clinging stubbornly to a strategy that simply isn't working.
Wes Clark has the direct military management, nation-building and diplomatic experience to see the mission through. He's done this very thing before in the former Yugoslavia. Clark outlined a course for Iraq in a Friday Washington Post op-ed. His experience and expertise would be invaluable at this difficult time, and even more so if things get worse.
Clark has all the fundamental tools to be president -- highest level management and political experience, a brilliant mind, a balanced world view, and the judgment and self-assuredness to make the tough decisions.
Presumably he learned some lessons about the precariousness of political campaigns from his neophyte effort of 2004. Being president is one thing, getting elected is another. Our current officeholder is very good at getting the job. Doing it? Not so much.
What America needs now, and will more than ever after three more years of Bush 43 is not platitudes and stubbornness or a slick campaigner, it's competence. America needs Wes Clark.
We'll explore this idea in greater detail over the coming months, but for now, crank up this little hurdy-gurdy -- Draft Clark in 2008!
Posted by houtopia at 04:13 PM
August 27, 2005
Demotion and Driving While Black & Brown
Remember Larry Lindsey? How about Paul O'Neill? These men were top-level Bush Administration officials who were shown the door after daring to tell the truth.
Lindsey, a top economic advisor, was out of line for wildly predicting the Iraq War could cost as much as $200 billion. Cost to date? Over $190 billion and no signs of stopping.
O'Neill, the now former Treasury Secretary, and a man President Bush once praised for being a "straight shooter", temeritously suggested the second round of tax cuts might not be fiscally prudent, and was summarily canned. Today, the U.S. faces record budget deficits.
And then there was Richard S. Foster. He is the Medicare program's chief actuary, who was threatened with firing for having the audacity to say that last year's Medicare bill would cost far more than the White House was admitting. The White House has since admitted it will cost hundreds of billions more than it previously estimated.
Sensing a pattern perhaps?
This week we learned that Lawrence Greenfield, named by the President in 2001 to head the Bureau of Justice Statistics at the Justice Department, will be moving on to a lesser position with another agency.
The reason? The Bureau's recent study on racial profiling revealed that while White, African American and Latino drivers are about equally as likely to be stopped by the police, African Americans and Latinos are far more likely to have their vehicles searched, to have force used against them, and to be ticketed and/or arrested.
Tracy Henke, a political appointee who as an acting assistant attorney general oversaw the study, asked that those troubling statistics be removed from the report, and that only the data showing the same stoppage rate be left in. Mr. Greenfield refused, and he has been demoted. President Bush rewarded Ms. Henke by nominating her to a senior position in the Department of Homeland Security.
The study's findings are disturbing in and of themselves, and suggest that we have a long way to go in America to achieve equal treatment for all by the police. Those findings should be made public, particularly considering the study was paid for with taxpayer dollars.
But perhaps more disturbing is this administration's clear pattern of suppressing politically inconvenient information and punishing those who deliver it.
In addition to those examples already mentioned, recall the omission of troubling global warming data from the EPA's report and the subsequent departure of frustrated EPA Director Christie Todd Whitman.
And of course, look at the political beating the CIA has taken for daring to dispute the White House's prewar intelligence claims -- claims now abandoned -- that were used to sell the Iraq War to the American public.
You've got to give the Administration points for consistency. It will continue to insist on loyalty above all, and viciously punish any who stray from the party line, truth or consequences -- and possibly the country's future -- be damned.
Posted by houtopia at 10:58 AM
August 25, 2005
Pulling a Fast One
In today's Dallas Morning News, Washington bureau chief Carl Leubsdorf uncovers GOP plans to sneak Social Security privatization into law under the general public's nose.
Despite the fact that the Administration's privatization scheme has been a resounding political flop and has been considered dead in the water, the GOP hasn't given up. The plan is to pass a privatization bill in the House, get the Senate to pass something, anything, then exclude Democrats and "fix" it in conference committee.
This strategy is reminiscent of the Medicare bill, better known as the Pharmaceutical Industry Boondoggle Act of 2003. Ah, what a success that's been.
The far right has coveted destroying Social Security, the most efficient, effective social program in history, since its inception. Don't let them get away with it. Shine a bright light on this funny business.
Posted by houtopia at 04:50 PM
A Cover Blown
The story has cooled a bit of late on the Karl Rove/Valerie Plame leak story, though special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's 20-month investigation churns onward.
In today's LA Times, Tom Hamburger and Sonni Efron chronicle the saga that began in February 2003 with a little trip to Niger by an obscure former U.S. diplomat.
The read is a fascinating and revealing journey through the Iraq War run-up's rationalizing, Joe Wilson's inconvenient public disclosure about his findings (or lack thereof) in Niger, and the subsequent White House effort to discredit him which resulted in his wife being identified (possibly illegally) as a CIA operative.
Hindsight leaves us shaking our heads. Remarkable is the uncharacteristic ideology by which recent U.S. foreign policy has been shaped and executed. The Bush 43 White House has broken with decades of American foreign policy tradition (regardless of the political party in charge) of steering a largely middling and self-interested course in world affairs, to something radical and ideology-driven. The jury is still out on the long-term wisdom of such a strategy (early results are not promising), but it is clear the "neocon" agenda is an enormous gamble.
Still shocking are the lengths to which some in the administration went to mold (or manufacture) intelligence evidence to fit a pre-determined conclusion to invade Iraq. Whatever one's position on the wisdom of the war itself, there is no disputing now that the original rationale for invasion sold to the American public -- Saddam's imminent threat to the region and U.S. interests -- was long ago abandoned by the White House. We now know why.
Also interesting in retrospect is the long-held distrust of the CIA by the White House architects of the Iraq War, and the role that distrust played in pre-war jockeying at the highest government levels.
It's a great story in the abstract -- intrigue, cut-throat politics, crisis control -- pulp worthy of John Le Carre. Except there's nothing abstract about it. These were real decisions made by the people who run our country, with real, hard consequences for the entire world.
It's easy to get caught up in the game of politics. Karl Rove is a master of it -- winning, sliming and destroying your enemy, covering your tracks afterward -- always in the game. But for nearly 1,900 brave Americans, and thousands of Iraqis, this was their endgame.
When do we pass "Go"? When will this game that is the Iraq War be over, and who, if anyone, will win?
Posted by houtopia at 02:30 PM
August 24, 2005
Henry's Still Got It
Last night, over 200 Houstonians packed the Peter Brown for City Council campaign office on Main Street, to officially open the headquarters and get the campaign season started. (The election is November 8th. Disclosure: Houtopia is working for the Brown campaign.)
The star of the evening was former San Antonio mayor and HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, who was in town for an urban development conference and to support his friend Peter Brown.
Seeing him up close and personal again, it is obvious why Cisneros is a once and (we hope) future political luminary. Tall, handsome, passionate, funny and knowledgeable, he is that most rare blend of style and substance in politics.
The GOP viciously took Cisneros down in the 1990s over a personal matter, clearly because he terrified them. A natural, charismatic, Latino Democratic leader from Texas was a real political threat, and America is poorer for having been without his public service these last ten or so years.
It's time for a comeback.
Posted by houtopia at 07:48 AM
August 22, 2005
The Breaking Point?
Living in a city built on the oil "bidness", one often encounters a love-hate attitude in Houston among residents toward the industry. Oil has made Houston incredibly rich, and has transformed it from a hick-town to a remarkably cosmopolitan and international city in just a few decades; a real boomtown in the good years.
But Houston has also been at the mercy of oil's economic and geopolitical swings. Anyone living here during the 80s bust years, knows just how cruel those swings can be. Houstonians also must suffer the environmental and health effects of living at this oil and petrochemical refining nexus.
For good and for bad, oil is woven deep into the fabric that is Houston. But for how much longer?
Yesterday's New York Times Magazine examines the future of oil production and consumption in a long but riveting piece by Peter Maass. His central question: Are we nearing "peak" oil production and the ensuing exhaustion of world supply? There is, of course, no definitive answer, but rapidly increasing demand that is not being matched by new supply coming online offers some strong hints.
One Houstonian who thinks the good times may be coming to an end is energy industry executive Matt Simmons. Simmons, an advisor to President Bush's 2000 campaign, is also close to Houston Mayor Bill White. (Simmons may have convinced the Mayor, who recently began driving a Toyota Prius hybrid car.)
Saudi Arabia, the world's oil kingpin (they have about a quarter of global reserves) is notoriously secretive about its current and future production capacity. Publicly, the Saudis maintain a very bullish view of their ability to meet rising world demand for oil in the coming decades.
Simmons did some sleuthing of his own, examining academic conference papers presented on Saudi wells. His new book offers his conclusion. The party's winding down, and triple-digit per-barrel oil prices may be soon on the way.
Simmons' position is hardly universally shared, but Maass gathers sobering commentary from a number of sources, including our own U.S. Department of Energy.
In conclusion, Maass notes the utter lack of political will to face the oil issue here at home. Neither major presidential candidate had anything of substance to say on the subject during the 2004 campaign, and the recently passed energy bill offers nothing to address Americans' oil consumption. Meanwhile, a gallon of gas is headed toward $3 and people are beginning to notice.
We suggest it's time for an honest, tough look at America's energy future by public policy-makers. Don't hold your breath.
Posted by houtopia at 07:30 PM
August 19, 2005
Does the Other Shoe Drop?
Today comes word of a conviction of a businessman in a Cleveland bribery trial with connections to Houston.
Two former officials in the Brown administration have already plead guilty to their involvement, and rumors have persisted for months that the Houston part of this story is far from written.
Speculation about the involvement of other former City officials, and current local officeholders has been rampant. Stay tuned on this one.
Posted by houtopia at 12:09 PM
August 16, 2005
Strike Three
Today the Republican leadership in Austin is finally admitting what Texans have realized for some time -- the Legislature isn't close to a deal on public school finance (or the accompanying tax bill), and the second special session has been a complete waste of time and money. There is now whispering that a third special session is in the offing. Governor Perry is making friends in a hurry.
Since taking over control of all levers of state government in 2002, the GOP has been crowing about how they would reform public education and provide real property tax relief. Well, two regular sessions and four special sessions later, they've made virtually no progress. That means you, Governor Perry, Lt. Governor Dewhurst and Speaker Craddick.
Sure, you've delivered some new Republican Congressional seats and an amendment to further ban already illegal same-sex marriage, but what else do you have to show for your time in charge? See, more Texans than not will vote Republican these days and oppose same-sex marriage, but they'd also like to keep the public schools open.
So many years in the political wilderness for the GOP, both in Texas and Washington, now the dream has been realized. Plans hatched long ago, after Barry Goldwater's crushing defeat, have borne fruit. The power grab is complete, but what now?
After same-sex marriage is banned yet again here in Texas, what next? What other red herring can the GOP find to try and distract folks from the real issues facing our state, and from its failure to lead?
It was much easier just to criticize, to blame Democrats and "libruls" for every ill under the sun, wasn't it? You may well do a slash and burn number (after all, it's what you do best), and make Democrats so unacceptable that you squeak through another election cycle next year, but what then?
These problems aren't going away. Leadership is about making tough decisions under tough circumstances for the public good. Leadership has been all but absent from the halls of the Capitol in Austin. Now you are in charge, dear Texas GOP, and this is on you.
Posted by houtopia at 08:52 AM
August 15, 2005
No Constitution Yet
Faced with a looming deadline today, Iraqi political leaders bought themselves some time, by postponing completion of the new constitution by a week.
The revelation that nearly half the document remains incomplete underscores the difficulty officials face in reaching agreement, and is yet one more example for we Americans of unmet and unrealistic expectations in this three-and-a-half year old conflict.
There is now talk of dissolving the Iraq National Assembly and starting over, should no agreement be reached on the constitution. Great.
But they're so close -- it's a shame. It's just little things, like the role of Islam in government, women's rights, distribution of oil wealth, that are holding this thing up. Come on, big deal! Just lock 'em in a room for a couple of hours until they figure it out.
Freedom is on the march in Mesopotamia, remember? Our civilian leadership in Washington had this whole thing pegged just right. An easy battle, we're welcomed with flowers and candy, a speedy transition to a flourishing democracy. All is going so well -- it's time for a bike ride with Lance Armstrong.
Posted by houtopia at 10:18 PM
August 14, 2005
Ahnuld's Problems Get Worse
On the heels of revelations that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was paid millions of dollars by a fitness magazine owned by the dietary supplement industry while governor, and that he subsequently made legislative decisions beneficial to the industry, there is this.
Details of a lengthy affair with a woman, that began when she was only 16 years old are certainly tawdry enough. It is that this same company -- American Media -- that had Ahnuld on the payroll paid this woman to keep quiet during and after the campaign, which is of particular interest.
The Governator has been suffering from sliding poll numbers and poor job performance anyway, but these recent allegations are making a return to private life (voluntary or not) more and more likely. Hollywood's gotta be looking better and better to Ahnuld. We bet he doesn't run for a second term.
Posted by houtopia at 08:28 AM
August 12, 2005
Abramoff Back on Page 1
Things had gone quiet in the ongoing saga of fallen GOP super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. After weeks of stinging headlines and juicy details about Abramoff extorting an Indian tribe, lobbying for sweatshop owners, and wining and dining powerful Congressional Republicans -- including a certain local leader in the U.S. House of Representatives -- the story had cooled off, as the press turned to Terri Schiavo, Karl Rove and Cindy Sheehan.
That certain local Congressman even seemed to be enjoying a bit of badly needed image rehabilitation among constituents, as he had a miraculous change of heart about public transit in Houston, delivered some pork for NASA, and opened a foster care home in the district. Motives aside, Houstonians benefited, and for that we're glad, but the whole episode has had a whiff of desperation around it.
The respite for both men is over. Mr. Abramoff was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Florida on 5 counts of fraud, surrounding a cruise-ship business deal gone bad.
One must now wonder, was our local Congressman's image rehabilitation effort designed to undo damage already done, or to establish stronger sea legs for what's coming next? While he's said "get thee away" to Mr. Abramoff for present purposes, the two were tight until things went bad. In short, Mr. Abramoff knows a lot, and facing federal prison time can have a remarkable loosening effect on the lips.
The curtain has risen on Act II of this drama.
Posted by houtopia at 08:28 AM
August 10, 2005
Go Ohio!
Today's Times profiles the nascent Reform Ohio Now campaign, to de-politicize the state's election and redistricting process.
The campaign is working to place three state constitutional amendments on the ballot -- to place some contribution limits on races, to have Congressional redistricting done by non-partisan commission, and to have elections overseen by non-partisan commission.
The short-term battle shapes up as partisan, because Republicans control all the levers of Ohio state government. The GOP will fight passage of the amendments there, much as California Democrats seek to block Governor Ahnuld's effort to make its redistricting non-partisan as well. (One of the only good things the Governator has done since taking office.)
Fighting these initiatives is understandably self-serving by those in control, but short-sighted. Passage of these amendments is in the long-term interest of good government and should be supported.
Placing some limits on campaign contributions is reasonable, to prevent single individuals or groups from having undue influence on elections.
Much of the polarization in American politics stems from the U.S. House of Representatives, where safely entrenched Members of both parties sit back and throw bombs at each other, rather than working toward consensus and good public policy. Turning over the line-drawing to a non-partisan commission will undoubtedly make districts more competitive, forcing Members to be more responsive and produce results. It has worked in Iowa, where 4 of the 5 Congressional seats are routinely competitive.
Finally, in an era when mistrust between the parties is rampant, and the validity of the voting process and election results is routinely challenged, having a bi-partisan or non-partisan commission oversee elections simply makes sense. Too many Americans today lack confidence in our electoral process -- this is a simple way to restore faith in the system.
The fear among those in control is that, should such initiatives be successful in states like Ohio, they will spread to other states. We can only hope so. Sign Houtopia up for the Texas campaign.
Posted by houtopia at 09:48 AM
Freedom on the March
Democracy continues to flourish in Iraq.
Yesterday, the Mayor of Baghdad was sacked by armed men, in a good old-fashioned coup.
The deadline for writing the new Iraqi constitution is just a few days away, but little sticking points remain unresolved, such as the minor detail of the role of Islam in government.
Several more American soldiers were killed yesterday, and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld admitted that weapons from "notably unhelpful" Iran are streaming over the border into Iraq.
No wonder President Bush is on vacation! It's all going swimmingly, isn't it?
Posted by houtopia at 09:34 AM
August 09, 2005
Cindy Sheehan's Stand
It is the middle of summer. The President has fled Washington for his preferred "Western White House" in Crawford, with those members of the press who drew the short straw in tow.
Mr. Bush has settled in for five weeks of home cooking, mountain biking, and his famous brush clearing. Life is good, if that's your cup of tea.
But he has a big and growing problem -- Cindy Sheehan, 48, of Vacaville, CA, the mother of Casey, an Army specialist who was killed in Iraq in April 2004.
Ms. Sheehan has gone to Crawford too, but for a very different reason. She wants answers from President Bush, answers he couldn't give her when he met with her and other grieving families at Fort Lewis last year.
She wants to know why we are still in Iraq, and when our soldiers are coming home. She might even settle for simply respectful treatment from the Commander in Chief, which she apparently did not receive during their previous visit.
Cindy Sheehan is not leaving until she gets her audience, or until she is removed. There is word that the Secret Service has given her until Thursday to leave the ranch area, or risk being arrested as a threat to national security.
This shouldn't be a problem for the President, right? He is resolute, unwavering, sure he is doing the right thing. So meet with this grieving mother and tell her so.
Tell her that victory is in sight, that democracy is on the march in the Cradle of Civilization, that the Iraqi insurgency is in its last throes. Just remind her and all of us that we know where you stand.
Posted by houtopia at 12:25 PM
August 04, 2005
Candidates Anyone? State House District 133
Several weeks ago, we began a call for candidates on the Democratic side for Houston area races in 2006. Given the less than impressive governing performance by Texas Republicans at every level, and natural increasing competitiveness in Harris County, it is critical that Democrats field strong candidates next year for a number of local races.
First on the list to be profiled was State House District 134. Happily, a strong candidate -- Ellen Cohen -- has already announced her intention to run, and has already been out there working hard.
Next on the docket: State House District 133, home to the ethically challenged Joe Nixon (there's a face only a mother could love), who will likely throw his hat into the ring to replace retiring State Senator Jon Lindsay.
This west Houston district abuts District 149 (now represented by freshman superstar Hubert Vo), and mirrors it in many ways.
Here are some interesting parallels.
1980 Race/Ethnicity Breakdown
Dist. 133 Anglo - 82% African American - 4% Latino - 7% Asian - 7%
Dist. 149 Anglo - 81% African American - 5% Latino - 6% Asian - 8%
1990 Race/Ethnicity Breakdown
Dist. 133 Anglo - 64% African American - 13% Latino - 15% Asian - 8%
Dist. 149 Anglo - 61% African American - 12% Latino - 13% Asian - 14%
2000 Race/Ethnicity Breakdown
Dist. 133 Anglo - 43% African American - 19% Latino - 23% Asian - 13%
Dist. 149 Anglo - 41% African American - 18% Latino - 21% Asian - 21%
Est. 2004 Race/Ethnicity Breakdown
Dist. 133 Anglo - 35% African American - 21% Latino - 27% Asian - 17%
Dist. 149 Anglo - 35% African American - 20% Latino - 23% Asian - 23%
And then there's this:
Democratic Share of Two-Party Presidential Vote – 1976-2004
District 133 District 149
1976 20% 20%
1980 19% 19%
1984 22% 24%
1988 27% 30%
1992 34% 43%
1996 37% 43%
2000 39% 39%
2004 44% 46%
This district is ready for a Democrat to win it. As of yet, while several possibilities have been mentioned, nobody has stepped up to run.
Democrats must file a strong candidate for this race -- someone with broad appeal, who can either provide his or her own resources or raise money, who will campaign like hell for the next year plus.
Any takers?
Posted by houtopia at 10:46 PM
August 02, 2005
The Framing Wars -- Update
A few weeks back, we wrote about Matt Bai's interesting piece for the NY Times Magazine on George Lakoff and "framing", the latest cure-all on the political left.
Last Sunday's magazine featured a list of interesting letters generated by the piece, and among them was a missive from former Houston City Council Member and Democratic National Committeeman Carroll Robinson.
His letter is third from the top, but since it is short, we have reprinted it. Interesting.
As Matt Bai reminds us, framing is nothing new in politics. What Democrats need to remember is that neither good advertising nor a play on words can sell a bad product or public policy. The challenge for Democrats is to show (not tell) Americans that they have a coherent and cohesive set of substantive ideas (policies).
Carroll G. Robinson
Houston
Posted by houtopia at 10:50 PM
Hackett Falls Short
Paul Hackett ran a valiant race in the Ohio 2nd Congressional District, but came up just a bit short.
The Democratic attorney and Iraq War veteran lost 52%-48% in a district that George W. Bush won nearly two to one. Hackett made a real race when nobody (including the DCCC) gave him any kind of chance.
If one can take a silver lining from tonight's result, it may be this. As Charlie Cook explains, our current political climate is starting to feel a lot like the flip side of 1994, when Democrats suffered huge losses in the midterm that brought us the Contract With America.
A narrow GOP victory in a slam dunk district should make GOPers very nervous indeed. Call it the 6-year political itch, call it an accumulation of bad news, but voters are ripe for change.
As we've written for weeks, Democrats have a real opportunity in 2006. Let's see if they capitalize.
Posted by houtopia at 10:31 PM
August 01, 2005
The Data Edge
Once again, Ruy Teixeira points us to an excellent article in analyzing current political strategy and tactics.
Data mining, a heavily used marketing tool these days, is being exploited by the GOP, to great advantage over Democrats. By analyzing consumer and other data, Republicans have been able to reliably identify sympathetic or potentially sympathetic voters, and then use aggressive persuasion tools -- mail, phone calls, etc. -- to win them over.
Democrats, not surprisingly, are way behind here. For years, party activists and consultants have continued to pursue programs aimed at turning out likely Democratic voters in concentrated, urban areas, with declining success.
It's now clear that the John Kerry actually raised more money than George W. Bush, and plenty of funding was there for outside groups. It's time to spend some of that money on building superior data for the future.
The Houston area offers a good case study in what no longer works. For many years here, Democratic voters were concentrated in urban wards, and "GOTV" programs concentrated there were the way to boost vote share.
But many of these traditional strongholds are now losing population, as younger generations move to Sugar Land, or Pearland. Democratic vote is being dispersed throughout the Metro area. Democrats need much more in-depth and sophisticated methods to identify friendly voters in all parts of the area, and get away from relying on past practices that just don't work anymore.
That, and, oh yeah, how about actually trying to persuade folks to vote for you? Hardly a novel idea, but one Democrats better get very serious about, and fast, if they are to fight their way out of the political wilderness.
Posted by houtopia at 10:26 PM